"Sixteen-year-old Emery feels out of place in her model Californian family; Emery is, according to her doctor, more than fifty pounds overweight. After discovering her family may lose their house through a foreclosure letter, Emery agrees to take part in a reality show that will win her family one million dollars if she can lose fifty pounds in fifty days. Her aptly named show, Fifty Pounds to Freedom, puts Emery through rigorous workouts, strict diets, and a whole bunch of crippling anxiety that raises questions about family, truth, and freedom. Emery begins to shed fat and the ownership she once had over her body as her personal life spirals out of control. Uncovering secrets about beauty, love, and fame, Emery sets herself free by making the choice to reclaim her identity as the person she wants to be."I am going to let y'all in on a secret; I thought I would not like this book. I questioned how in the world a man could effectively write a teenage female heroine. My expectation was for everything about the novel to fall flat. After-all, woman are complex creatures and teenagers? Grown women can't figure out teenage girls? In my mind it was a recipe for disaster. I am so pleased to tell you I was dead wrong. Ken Baker nailed it with How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly In Love.
Emery is a 16 year old girl living with a "perfect" family. The problem is, Emery doesn't fit society's stereotypical definition of perfect. She's curvy. Fluffy. Pleasantly plump. Anyway you shake it, Emery has a weight problem according to everyone from her doctor to her family. This was something I could relate to and I immediately fell in love with this character. Ken Baker does a remarkable job getting in the head of of Emery and all the emotional ups and downs that go with her story. She is a remarkable character. Vulnerable, but not a doormat. She hurts, but is no victim. She owns her mistakes. Her story is full of humor and heartache. Emery makes this book for me.
There was much I enjoyed, especially Emery's character and how she traverses the unorthodox turns and twists her life takes. Sadly, the book ends quite abruptly, at least that's how it felt to me. There were many unanswered questions and loose ends left hanging. This along with the fact that the lack of support her family offered drove me batty. Mostly the ending though. Please don't leave me hanging like that. You suck me in and then BAM!
I'm really trying hard not to put spoilers in reviews these days. All things considered, I would still recommend the book. My only advice is be prepared for an ending you'll likely be disappointed in. Even with that, I still enjoyed the story and did not regret reading it.
Ramblings of a Texas Housewife Product Review and/or Giveaway Disclosure- I have received no compensation other than the offer of free product to review and/or giveaway. Any opinions expressed on Ramblings of a Texas Housewife are my own. My reviews are never reviewed or edited in any way by sponsors.
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